The Yamazaki-55 Year, the oldest of its kind in history, established a new auction record for a bottle of Japanese whisky this weekend, fetching HK$6,200,000 (about RM3.3 million)
The oldest Japanese whisky in history, Yamazaki-55 Year was auctioned off for HK$6,200,000 at Bonhams Fine & Rare Wine and Whisky Sale in Hong Kong this past weekend, setting a new world auction record for a bottle of Japanese whisky.
The amount was more than 10 times the pre-sale estimate of HK$580,000–780,000. It also far exceeded previous records set respectively in March 2020 for GBP363,000 (about RM2 million), and in May 2019 for NT$13,512,500 (about RM1.9 million).
The single-malt blockbuster was distilled in the 1960s and produced in 100 limited edition bottles. It was freshly released this June by Suntory through a customer lottery system applicable only to residents in Japan.
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The Yamazaki-55 Year was matured in both Japanese Mizunara oak cask from 1960 and white oak cask from 1964, the year of the previous Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Distilled to 46 per cent ABV, it has a deep reddish amber colour with a complex agarwood and sandalwood nose, rich in fruity scents with a sweet aftertaste.
The gold-dusted bottle is kept in a black Mizunara oak box with Suruga lacquer while the bottle mouth is wrapped in handmade Echizen Washi and tied with a traditional Kyoto braided cord.
"The stunning price sets a new milestone for the market of Japanese whisky, testament to collectors’ desire and determination to acquire the very best the market has to offer," said Daniel Lam, Bonhams Hong Kong's director of wine and whisky, Asia.
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